Is Jake Delhomme the worst QB in the NFL?

I'm not really a fan of any specific team. I don't really have a reason for being like this, I've just never become attached to a team. If I were though, it would be the Carolina Panthers. I'm from the state, for one thing. But I'm nothing like a diehard or anything close to that. I catch games if I catch them, I follow them as much as I find on Yahoo or ESPN.com and in the paper. That's pretty much the extent of my fandom.

But yesterday, I couldn't help myself. I got really frustrated with Jake Delhomme. He's just not very good. A friend of mine watching the game with me pretty much encapsulated the extent of the Cajun's badness when Delhomme threw a pass that was tipped then intercepted.

"Damn," my friend said when the replay showed. "His pass had a better spiral on it after it was tipped."

The replay rolled again. Lo and behold, my friend wasn't even being funny. The pass was wobbling pretty badly, someone tipped it, and it became a perfect spiral.

I'd love to see someone else under center for the Panthers. Just to see how good they could be. They have a pretty solid receiving corps from what I can tell, and with the running game they have, could do some pretty good things with a better QB.

I dunno. Just felt like rambling about it, and since I quit blogging, this seemed like an OK place. I like Delhomme as a person from what I know about him, but he's frustrating to watch.

In other news, I was pretty impressed with Mark Sanchez.

 

Sam Mills' head just exploded.

There is no way he is the worst. He did take them to a Super Bowl a few moons ago. Is he in the lower 1/4th of the starters in the league? Probably.

I'll let the litmus sit a few more weeks in the acid before making a decision, but it does not look good.

 

How does a guy who started only one year in college look so impressive in his first-ever game? Granted Schottenheimer did call a good game, kept an extra blocker in at times to pick up the blitz and kept things simple enough for Sanchez to run the offense. But Houston does have one of the best pass rushers in the league and Sanchez not only kept his cool, but was unconscious on third down conversions.

Coupled his early success with Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco I think we are seeing a time when QBs no longer have to hold a clipboard for several years or go through some tough times (ala Troy Aikman) before they are a solid starter.

As for Delhomme, he certainly has had two clunkers in a row going back to last year's playoffs. But he isn't that far removed from being a solid starter. maybe the injury is still affecting him?

 

If Jake Delhomme is the worst quarterback in the NFL, Jason Campbell isn't much better.

 

This obviously wasn't a serious assessment--of course he's not the worst in the NFL. I'd just never seen a tipped pass turn into a perfect spiral and then get intercepted.

Just thought Sanchez had a good head on his shoulders during the post-game interview. Humble, focused a lot on what he had to improve. I like humility.

 

Matt Stafford threw four interceptions yesterday and Jay Cutler possibly threw the game against Chicago, so no.

 

Are you saying Delhomme is better than Cutler?

 

Don't know if he's the worst yet, but judging from his last two starts, he's on his way unless he turns it around quick.

 

Delhomme looked shell-shocked. If he struggles on Sunday, I will say he is done. Did he recently sign a extension?

 

Sneed, just who do you expect the Panthers to put in there if they yanked Delhomme? Josh McCown? Matt Moore? You think Marty Hurney is going to dig up Vinny Testaverde again? Or Chris Weinke?

Josh McCown can't carry a team long-term. Matt Moore is fairly athletic and more than adequate, but long term right now? Um, no. And while trading for Tarvaris Jackson looks like a nice option right about now, he couldn't learn the playbook in time to help much.

And here's the money question: What other quarterback is going to win Steve Smith's trust?

Sure, the game was frustrating, blending a slow-moving train wreck with deja vu from the Arizona disaster. Delhomme didn't look like he had snapped out of it after the first pick. It snowballed, and I think part of it is Philly's defense smelling blood. Another part of it is there was no way the Eagles defense was going to come out flat in memory of Jim Johnson.

The running backs are outstanding. The receivers are loaded with question marks beyond Ritalin Child and Moose. About the only thing Dwayne Jarrett has caught in two-plus years is a cop after drinking, and after that, who knows? Perhaps this is where Mike Goodson can help given that DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart are firmly entrenched in the backfield. And John Fox hasn't worried much about TE, which is why that's iffy at best with a blocker of sorts in Jeff King, a nice, tall pass catcher in Dante Rosario and they're trying to develop Gary Barnidge.

Sneed, the frustration is understandable but reality has to take a foothold here somehow. Delhomme recently signed a multiyear extension with $20 million guaranteed. The Panthers, because of their cap situation and the contract mess with Julius Peppers, were hamstrung and couldn't go out and get a bunch of new players. If he sinks, it wouldn't surprise me in the least to see Jerry Richardson fire both John Fox and Marty Hurney. And no telling what the next coach will want in terms of personnel and running the show.

 

Anyone who thinks Jake Delhomme is the worst quarterback in the NFL needs to watch JaMarcus Russell tonight. The guy still thinks a seven-yard slant refers to the height of the pass, not the distance. He'll probably flick one 75 yards down the field at a totally meaningless moment, which will be enough for Al Davis and his cult to jerk off for another week, so that will be nice.

And regarding Sanchez's ability to make the transition: It's the difference between playing pro-style and spread offense in college. If my kid were a stud QB, I would never send him to Urban Meyer or Mike Leach or anyone else who was going to run the chuck-and-duck.